Upcoming albums of 2018

For Justin Timberlake fans, the wait for new music is almost over. The 36-year-old singer is set to release his fifth studio album, titled “Man of The Woods,” on Feb 2. This new record hasn’t been kept much of a secret, unlike his latest, “The 20/20 Experience,” which came out four years ago. Timberlake recently released a minute-long trailer for the album, showing clips of him in various landscapes, along with glimpses of his wife and son. According to Billboard, Timberlake says this album is inspired by his family and hometown of Memphis, adding that this one is “personal.” “Man of The Woods” is set to come out just two days before his Super Bowl halftime show, allowing fans to anticipate the performance even more.

2) The 1975

The 1975 catapulted to success with their 2016 sophomore album “I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It.” Their ethereal pop-rock, funk-infused sound was celebrated by both fans and critics. Their next album, “Music for Cars,” will come out this year. Although a release date isn’t verified yet, The 1975 are making something big. Frontman Matty Healy has made it obvious he hopes this record is a career-defining one—saying in an interview with Beats 1 that “if it doesn’t make me physically dance or cry within the first 48 hours, we normally get rid of it.”

3) Drake

Drake hinted last year that he’s focused on somehow getting even bigger in 2018. The Toronto rapper’s latest release was “More Life” in March of 2017. Since then, he’s taken a step back from the limelight, likely due to recording. The closing track to “More Life,” “Do Not Disturb,” confirms he’s up to something—with lyrics saying he’s taking the summer off and will “be back in 2018” to give us the summary. An unreleased Drake track called “Pistols” leaked on Christmas, along with a snippet of a song called “God’s Plan” shortly after. Both tracks saw critical acclaim across social media, making Drake fans even more excited for what’s to come.

4) Vampire Weekend

Since at least early 2016, indie pop band Vampire Weekend have been working on their heavily anticipated fourth record. This year will mark five years since the release of their Grammy-winning album “Modern Vampires of the City,” and fans are getting antsy. Frontman Ezra Koenig has stayed busy these past few years with other endeavors, including creating an anime for Netflix and showing support for Bernie Sanders during the election. Despite these potential distractions, Koenig insisted on Twitter the album is “80% done,” warning that “the last 20% is always the hardest.” While there’s no confirmed release date yet, Koenig has confirmed the working title for the record is “Mitsubishi Macchiato.”

5) Chvrches

Scottish synth-pop outfit Chvrches are gearing up to drop their third record. The band saw success with their first albums, “The Bones of What You Believe” and “Every Open Eye,” which were both self-produced. This time, the band is working with well-known pop producer Greg Kurstin. Neither frontwoman Lauren Mayberry nor her bandmates have confirmed a release date or title for the upcoming album yet. However, Mayberry said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that working with Kurstin has pushed Chvrches’ sound to be “bigger” and “weirder” than ever before.